Loving Divine YOU!
Experience the life of your dreams through embracing all that you are.
Introduction
Self-Love Practices:
- Appreciate Yourself
- Love Your Heart
- Be Gentle With Yourself
- Take Time Out For You
- Be Honest
- Welcome Your Feelings
- Ho'oponopono Prayer: Practicing Forgiveness
Self-Love Practices:
- Appreciate Yourself
- Love Your Heart
- Be Gentle With Yourself
- Take Time Out For You
- Be Honest
- Welcome Your Feelings
- Ho'oponopono Prayer: Practicing Forgiveness
Loving yourself is the absolutely most important thing you can do not only for you, but for others and the planet. In New Earth, we are living in unity consciousness, aware that everything is not only connected, but unified in one consciousness. This means that everything within us affects everything outside of us (and vice versa), and every loving thought, feeling, and deed affects the entire planet. Love is not just an emotion. It is a consciousness, a vibration, and a dimension of reality. It is New Earth.
Loving ourselves takes the willingness to put ourselves first. Wait! What? That's so selfish! I'm supposed to love and care for others first and me last! How about a new saying on that one - give it a Valley Girl slang - "OMG, that's like so Old Earth."
True self-love comes from the divine spark placed in all of us, in our hearts. It is our gift to the world and New Earth, for loving yourself from your heart is loving all of humanity.
Consider that the only person with you every second of your life, from birth until death, is YOU! No one knows you better than yourself. No one can love you, see you and understand you to the depths that you yourself can. As you fill yourself up with the love and light that you truly already are, you naturally transform the world and experience deeper love with others.
While we feel love naturally, such as when we hold our newborn baby, "fall in love" with another, or experience love in nature or with our pets, we have been trained that self-love is selfish, egotistical and narcissistic. So we spend our time beating ourselves up and thinking we are broken. If you were raised Catholic like me, you might believe you were born broken, with original sin. We take hope that some day, one day, we'll "be enough" - once we fix ourselves or fix the world around us, then we can love ourselves. One day, some day, when we've suffered enough, we can relax into life and find the joy and peace we desire. We try to please everyone around us, acting in a way that appeases the demands that others have on our behavior so they will like us, love us and we'll be a "good person". In this old game, we often neglect giving love, care and respect to ourselves, for we don't have time to put loving attention on ourselves.
Loving ourselves takes the willingness to put ourselves first. Wait! What? That's so selfish! I'm supposed to love and care for others first and me last! How about a new saying on that one - give it a Valley Girl slang - "OMG, that's like so Old Earth."
True self-love comes from the divine spark placed in all of us, in our hearts. It is our gift to the world and New Earth, for loving yourself from your heart is loving all of humanity.
Consider that the only person with you every second of your life, from birth until death, is YOU! No one knows you better than yourself. No one can love you, see you and understand you to the depths that you yourself can. As you fill yourself up with the love and light that you truly already are, you naturally transform the world and experience deeper love with others.
While we feel love naturally, such as when we hold our newborn baby, "fall in love" with another, or experience love in nature or with our pets, we have been trained that self-love is selfish, egotistical and narcissistic. So we spend our time beating ourselves up and thinking we are broken. If you were raised Catholic like me, you might believe you were born broken, with original sin. We take hope that some day, one day, we'll "be enough" - once we fix ourselves or fix the world around us, then we can love ourselves. One day, some day, when we've suffered enough, we can relax into life and find the joy and peace we desire. We try to please everyone around us, acting in a way that appeases the demands that others have on our behavior so they will like us, love us and we'll be a "good person". In this old game, we often neglect giving love, care and respect to ourselves, for we don't have time to put loving attention on ourselves.
I am here to remind you that you are born divine, you are enough, you are absolutely lovable just as you are. However, no one else's opinion, including mine, can have you truly believe this. Nothing you do, succeed at or experience in life will have you love yourself. No amount of attention on the needs and wants of others will have you love yourself. The foundation of your highest service to the world is to love yourself throughout every experience, in each moment. This includes when you are judgmental, angry, anxious, depressed, mournful, shameful, reactive, frustrated, victimized or fearful.
Believe me, I know how challenging it is to love yourself! It sounds easy in theory, but not so easy in our day-to-day experiences. As your heart opens and you love more and more, every single thing that is judged as bad, wrong and "evil" comes up in your awareness and experience, whether internally or externally. Choosing the path to love is truly the path of the divine warrior, taking a commitment of bravery, trust and surrender in each moment.
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SELF-LOVE PRACTICES
Experiment with these, even if you feel silly, don't agree, or don't believe a word you're saying to yourself! I recommend choosing one practice and sticking with it for at least 7 days. Take an open and honest look at how you feel and experience yourself before you began that practice and after those 7 days. It's not a discipline, but a practice. So you can't get it wrong. Even if you try on a practice one time and then forget to ever do it again, you've given yourself a great gift!
Experiment with these, even if you feel silly, don't agree, or don't believe a word you're saying to yourself! I recommend choosing one practice and sticking with it for at least 7 days. Take an open and honest look at how you feel and experience yourself before you began that practice and after those 7 days. It's not a discipline, but a practice. So you can't get it wrong. Even if you try on a practice one time and then forget to ever do it again, you've given yourself a great gift!
Appreciate Yourself
In your journal, reflect on your day and write all the things you've succeeded at, learned, enjoyed or accomplished. Skip the judgments, the how you could have done it better, what you did wrong or didn't do at all. You can write your challenges of the day, and how you handled them. Be sure, though, to an observer's point of view, simply recording your successes and how you see could do even better. Your challenges are like learning any new skill: each time a challenge arises is an opportunity to practice and learn something new.
It's easy to review the day and see only the conversation you had that didn't go well, the food you shouldn't have eaten, or the things you didn't get done on your list. Even noticing that you have your focus on the "bad" things that happened that day is something to appreciate. You can say, "Oh, great that you noticed that! Good job and thank you for bringing that to my attention!"
It's easy to review the day and see only the conversation you had that didn't go well, the food you shouldn't have eaten, or the things you didn't get done on your list. Even noticing that you have your focus on the "bad" things that happened that day is something to appreciate. You can say, "Oh, great that you noticed that! Good job and thank you for bringing that to my attention!"
Compliments are also ways to appreciate yourself. If you're not very good at receiving compliments, start there. Simply say, "Thank you," and nothing else, except maybe a smile, when someone compliments you. Then you can begin to compliment yourself. This takes a willingness to start to notice all the good things about yourself and what you do in the world, no matter how small. There are so many things to compliment yourself about! We get to tell the story about ourselves. For example, maybe you ate something you think you shouldn't have. Write only what you ate that you feel good about - maybe you drank that extra glass of water, or a bite of vegetable. Maybe you are stressed financially. Look around you and see the home you live in keeps you warm and safe from the elements, all the items in your home you get to use and enjoy, and the bills on the table that say, "We trust you and the abundance that fills your reality. We will give you this service and know you will reimburse us in the future."
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Love Your Heart
This practice is one of the most powerful things I personally use. It's simple, fast and extremely effective. Give it a try for a few weeks, even if you feel silly doing it or don't believe a word you're saying to yourself.
Place your hand or hands on your heart and say to your heart, your beloved Self, "I love you." Once, twice, for 10 minutes - it all counts. Simply bring your attention to your heart, maybe close your eyes, take a breath in and out, and say aloud if you can, "I love you."
You might also like to try placing your hands on your heart, looking at yourself in your eyes in a mirror and saying, "I love you."
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Place your hand or hands on your heart and say to your heart, your beloved Self, "I love you." Once, twice, for 10 minutes - it all counts. Simply bring your attention to your heart, maybe close your eyes, take a breath in and out, and say aloud if you can, "I love you."
You might also like to try placing your hands on your heart, looking at yourself in your eyes in a mirror and saying, "I love you."
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Be Gentle With Yourself
We have all had trauma and pain. Realize that you are doing the best you can in any situation. Every experience is there for you to learn and grow from. More importantly, every experience, inside and out, is an opportunity to love. It is all a cry for more love, more attention, more care and compassion. Would you rush someone to run a marathon when they haven't exercised in years, or worse, have a broken leg? Why do we think we should be doing life differently than we are? Everything serves us, even if to feel relief from our pain temporarily. When we practice compassion for ourselves in this moment, without trying to get rid of, fix, or change anything about ourselves, we find that more loving thoughts, feelings and actions happen naturally.
Be gentle with yourself, as you would a child. I like to put my hands on my heart and say, "Easy. Gentle. It's ok you feel this way. I love you."
Be gentle with yourself, as you would a child. I like to put my hands on my heart and say, "Easy. Gentle. It's ok you feel this way. I love you."
Loving yourself sounds so simple, but as you know, it can be very challenging and confronting. As you open your heart, I remind you again that you'll find that everything, past and present, that hasn't been loved, will come up for you. This is why it is SO important to be gentle with yourself, knowing that as you love more and bring in more light, memories and emotions will arise to be released through the power of love. Know and trust that you are not going backwards! You are amazing and everything is unfolding perfectly!
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Take Time Out For You
This is the place to start your self-care. Self-care is not selfish, it is knowing that there is nothing more important than caring for Divine You. Your ability to move through, surrender and release all the intense emotions, experiences and sensitivity you are feeling comes from honoring yourself and your needs. Taking time out to put attention on yourself allows your to move through life with greater ease, not getting trampled or caught up in the tornado of energy within or without you. Let's be honest, you are not here to fix or change anyone else (including yourself!). This is an old superstition that is now time to be put to rest. (This is where you say, "OMG, that's like so Old Earth.")
Taking time out is a way to practice honoring yourself moment by moment. Maybe you want to take a nap or bath, draw, journal, read, take a class, dance, meditate, go into nature, cry, watch a movie and laugh, pray, get a massage or bodywork, or pamper yourself. By taking time out, you are putting your undivided attention on yourself. This will have you get to know YOU, your wants, needs, fears and pain. It opens you to experiencing and surrounding yourself with what brings you joy, love and passion.
Instead of stomping out your passion with a list of shoulds, responsibilities, and what fulfills the desires of others, it is time to take loving care of yourself first. Of course you will continue to care for others, but from a place of joyful service. Self-care is a great responsibility. Taking time out for you has you bring your best self to any interaction you have with others. By practicing it, you lead the way for all of humanity to honor and care for themselves in a way that serves ALL.
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Instead of stomping out your passion with a list of shoulds, responsibilities, and what fulfills the desires of others, it is time to take loving care of yourself first. Of course you will continue to care for others, but from a place of joyful service. Self-care is a great responsibility. Taking time out for you has you bring your best self to any interaction you have with others. By practicing it, you lead the way for all of humanity to honor and care for themselves in a way that serves ALL.
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Be Honest
Honesty takes a willingness to trust yourself and your choices. Being honest begins with saying YES when you mean yes and NO when you mean no.
That's easier said than done, as we tend to be the least honest with ourselves. What if you say yes and then change your mind? What if you say no and then hurt someone's feelings or lose an opportunity? Being honest starts from being honest with ourselves in the moment. Nothing is permanent, so how you feel or think in this moment could change in the next. Being honest simply means being interested in what you really feel or think without having to justify, explain or analyze yourself. This practice has you trust yourself more and more. Concerns, fears and worries often cloud our ability to be honest in the moment. The most important thing is to honor YOU, in this moment. You might not act on it. You might change your mind. You might not speak your thoughts aloud. But you can practice being honest with yourself by seeing where you want to say yes to yourself and others and where you want to say no.
That's easier said than done, as we tend to be the least honest with ourselves. What if you say yes and then change your mind? What if you say no and then hurt someone's feelings or lose an opportunity? Being honest starts from being honest with ourselves in the moment. Nothing is permanent, so how you feel or think in this moment could change in the next. Being honest simply means being interested in what you really feel or think without having to justify, explain or analyze yourself. This practice has you trust yourself more and more. Concerns, fears and worries often cloud our ability to be honest in the moment. The most important thing is to honor YOU, in this moment. You might not act on it. You might change your mind. You might not speak your thoughts aloud. But you can practice being honest with yourself by seeing where you want to say yes to yourself and others and where you want to say no.
This is standing in your power. It means taking total responsibility for your reality and interpretation of your reality instead of blaming others for your choices. If you take the time to notice your fears and doubts, your judgements and insecurities, what will bubble to the surface is how you authentically feel, what you authentically want, where you can be more generous and where you need more boundaries. Ultimately, what will surface is your soul's and heart's desire, and clarity about any aspect of your life.
You may want to start being honest with yourself by setting aside time to journal. What do you really want? What are your fears, doubts or limitations around what you want? List the reasons why you think you can't have what you are wanting. Dig deep. Are there habit or ways of being that no longer serve you being your best and brightest self? Are you here to serve the world by suffering and struggling, or to serve the world by having an amazing life, filled with love, joy, passion and pleasure? You were born to experience being a spirit in physical form and be an amazing unique contribution to the world. You deserve anything that your heart desires.
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You may want to start being honest with yourself by setting aside time to journal. What do you really want? What are your fears, doubts or limitations around what you want? List the reasons why you think you can't have what you are wanting. Dig deep. Are there habit or ways of being that no longer serve you being your best and brightest self? Are you here to serve the world by suffering and struggling, or to serve the world by having an amazing life, filled with love, joy, passion and pleasure? You were born to experience being a spirit in physical form and be an amazing unique contribution to the world. You deserve anything that your heart desires.
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Welcome Your Feelings
We weren't trained to welcome our feelings. Men aren't supposed to feel them, and women are too emotional. As spirits in a physical body, everything we experience is felt and held in the body. This is also where our emotions reside. Feelings are meant to flow through us. They inform us of our state of consciousness at any given moment, letting us know if we are in our natural higher self state of love and trust or in our lower consciousness state of fear and survival. Feelings and emotions allow energy and experiences to move through us, and are meant to assist us in aligning with the natural ebb and flow of the universe and our divine human experience.
We only hold onto feelings when we don't allow them to be seen, felt and honored. Instead of just allowing them to be, we tend to judge them, ignore them, or suppress them. This is especially true with "negative" emotions such as anger, depression or anxiety. It can be especially challenging when faced with extreme emotions while with a loved one, in a social situation, or at work. You can acknowledge how you feel in the moment, and put it aside if you need to. This is why it's important to practice welcoming your feelings by taking time out for yourself and put your attention on where you are feeling your emotions in your body.
For example, I tend to feel anxiety in my solar plexus. You may simply feel pain or discomfort somewhere in your body, not experiencing what you would consider an "emotion" there. Put your hand or hands in that area if you can, and allow any sensation, image, memory or thought to arise and be seen. Be there for yourself, like you would a loved one in pain. Suppressing feelings you think are "bad" trains you to suppress all your emotions. The treasure, deeper love than you've ever experienced before, is often buried by the feelings you think you should not be feeling.
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For example, I tend to feel anxiety in my solar plexus. You may simply feel pain or discomfort somewhere in your body, not experiencing what you would consider an "emotion" there. Put your hand or hands in that area if you can, and allow any sensation, image, memory or thought to arise and be seen. Be there for yourself, like you would a loved one in pain. Suppressing feelings you think are "bad" trains you to suppress all your emotions. The treasure, deeper love than you've ever experienced before, is often buried by the feelings you think you should not be feeling.
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Ho'oponopono: Practicing Forgiveness
This traditional Hawaiian practice is very powerful. Each time I use it, tears always come. It is simple and direct. When I practice it, I slow down and think of a very specific person, situation or experience. Forgiveness is a key part of loving yourself. The term "healing" is really about returning to wholeness, to the natural wellness and integrity of our soul. Remember that your true Divine self is that of unconditional love, while the ego is fragmented, separated and has forgotten your wholeness. Forgiveness heals. It means you honor and acknowledge your, and others, pain. You do not have to forgive the action. Instead, honestly let yourself see and experience the pain you feel, knowing that it is there to be transformed and released through the power of love. Consider that everything is here as a call to love more deeply than ever before.
You can't change others. You can forgive them by knowing that they have done the best they can given the state of consciousness they were in at the time. "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." Simply acknowledge their pain and bless them, leaving the situation if you need to. Then turn your attention to yourself, loving the one who is crying out for love only you can give them.
You can't change others. You can forgive them by knowing that they have done the best they can given the state of consciousness they were in at the time. "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." Simply acknowledge their pain and bless them, leaving the situation if you need to. Then turn your attention to yourself, loving the one who is crying out for love only you can give them.
HO'OPONOPONO PRAYER
Here is an example of using this prayer, in this case, toward yourself.
I'm sorry I haven't been here for you. I'm so sorry I've ignored your cries for love and attention and made other people's needs and demands more important than yours.
Please forgive me for trying to shut you up. Please forgive me for telling you that you shouldn't feel angry or sad.
Thank you for being honest about your needs and feelings. Thank you so much for continuing to stand up for yourself and what's important to you. I need your strength and your vulnerability. You are so important to me.
I love you. I love you and I'm always here for you. I love you and I'm not going anywhere.
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I'm sorry I haven't been here for you. I'm so sorry I've ignored your cries for love and attention and made other people's needs and demands more important than yours.
Please forgive me for trying to shut you up. Please forgive me for telling you that you shouldn't feel angry or sad.
Thank you for being honest about your needs and feelings. Thank you so much for continuing to stand up for yourself and what's important to you. I need your strength and your vulnerability. You are so important to me.
I love you. I love you and I'm always here for you. I love you and I'm not going anywhere.
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